Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper on Monday morning issued the following statement regarding the outcome of last Tuesday’s general election, which he lost by a wide margin to former Edmonds City Councilmember Dave Earling:

“It has been an honor to serve as mayor of my hometown these past sixteen months.  I am proud of my accomplishments and each decision I made, always working to make our city a better place.  Our dedicated team of campaign volunteers worked hard and did not let up until 8:00 p.m. election day; but it is clear however that the people of Edmonds prefer a different approach and have elected Dave Earling to be our mayor. Congratulations to Dave on your election.”

“With the failure of the ballot propositions and the potential of declining revenue from the state, mayor-elect Earling and the new council have a tremendous challenge ahead. I wish them well in their efforts to continue providing service to our community while at the same time respecting the work of a dedicated city work force.”

“As for me, I have served the community proudly in elected office for many years and hope to be remembered as person with integrity who always stood up for my beliefs. After 31 years of public service, it is time to spend more time with my wife and grandchildren.”

Cooper is a former state legislator and Snohomish County Councilmember who was appointed by the Edmonds City Council in July 2010 to fill out the remainder of Gary Haakenson’s term as Mayor. Haakenson is now Deputy Snohomish County Executive.

Because Cooper was appointed rather than elected, he will leave office Nov. 29, when election results are certified by Snohomish County. That would also be true in the case of City Council positions 4 and 7, in which the incumbents — Diane Buckshnis and Lora Petso — were appointed. Both of those races are too close to call, with more votes to be counted by the end of the day Tuesday.